Grading machine



Dec. 12A, i944 J. GOULDBOURN GRADING MACHINE 3 Sheets-Sheet l Filed April 7, 1945 Dec. i2, '1%44. J. GOULDBOURN 2,364,708

y GRADING MACHINE 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 7, 1943 Dec. 12, '1944. J. GOULDBOURN GRADING MACHINE Filed April 7, 1943 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Dec. 12, 1944 l '2,364,7os

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFlCl u 2,364,708 i v GRADING MACHINE Joseph Gouldbourn, Lecesten'England, assignor' to United Shoe Machinery Corporation", Flemington, N. J., a corporation of New Jersey" Application April 7, 1943, SerialNo. 482,118; In Great Britain' April 24,1942

8 Claims.

This invention relates to grading machines, such machines having operating mechanism adapted to act upon or withrespect to .workpieces in accordance with their measured thicknesses; and is herein illustrated as an improve-V ment upon the machine of Letters Patent lof the United States No. 2,338,283, granted January 4, 1944, upon an application led in the names of Joseph Gouldbourn and Charles H. Heather.

The machine of the patent comprises measuring mechanism, .operating mechanism and mechanism including huid-operated means for adjusting the operating mechanism in accordance with the thickness of the thinnest spot; in a selected locality of the workpiece encountered by the measuring mechanism as the workpiece passes through the machine. In that machine,` in

which two pawls cooperate with rack `teeth on a setting slide to lock the slide from movement in either direction, an undue amount of wear or breakage is liable to occur due to the lfact that, when that pawl, which is preventing return movement of the slide to its zero position, is Withdrawn from the ratchet teeth, the hydraulic or fluid-operated pressure is pushing the slide toward its zero position in a direction to holdra tooth of the ratchet against the pawl.

According to one feature of the present invention, means is provided for reversing the direction in which the hydraulic pressure is exerted justas or prior t the withdrawal yof the pawl from the ratchet teeth of the setting slide.

According to another feature of the invention, means is provided for causing the machine to deal in a certain manner with each workpiecev nest spot of which is exactlya multiple of the e unit plus half a unit, said workpiece will be dealt with as though the thickness of its thinnest spot were the next higher multiple of the unit.

These andother features of the invention, including certain details of construction and com'- binations of parts, Will bev described as embodied in an illustrative machine and pointedl out in the appended claims.

According to this feature, a

Referring., to the'v accompanying drawings,-`

Fig. 1 is aplan View of the illustrative chine;

Figs.- 2 and 3-taken together are a vertical vsection on.` thev line II,l IIl?i of-` Fig. 1; Fig.` 2-showing the upper portion andFig. 3 the lower portionl of the machine;

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of thev mechanism formovingthe-pawls into and out ofy cooperative relation to the'setting slide; and

liigs.v 5, 6 and 7. are-diagrammaticrviews show.- ing thek operation off,y thepawlson the setting slide.` Y- l Theillustrativemachine; as has been stated, is an improvement upon` themachineofi Patent No.` 2,338,283, certain partsofwhich are shown in detail in.Patent1\I-o.` 1,703,955 granted March j anism, indicatedv asi ay whole at: 4f for adjusting operating mechanism ofv the illustrated machine` the operating mechanism in' accordance with 'the 1 thinnest spot in aselected` locality ofthe work;

piece encountered by the'measuring'rolls;vv Ma.; chines of this` generaltype are., knownpwhich splitfvand mark the workpieces and which"V sort them or visually indicate their thicknesses..` The consists of a splittingmechanism, ofvwhiclitthe rolls. are indicated at 5' (Fig 2%) and 1' (Figfi'. aknife. 8, andfa marking mechanism, of Which the stamping or marking.v wheelv is indicated fat i I 41. (Fig. 2).. These two operating mechanisms aretypical of. any mechanism whichl acts upon or withrespectto the workpiece inzaccordance withits thickness'fasmeasured by the measuring mechanism.` l

The measuring.' mechanismincludes the driven measuring rolls I,.3; therolllbeing prevented from upward or downward movement? andathe roll I3 being yieldingly supported and beinggcapa'- ble yoaf'l moving bodily downward andI of tipping lengthwisel as aV workpiece" passes between" the rolls.. Thelower roll-'IA of` the splittingV mecha;-

nism.v isyieldingly supported, the upper rol1fbe= ingl adjustable in: accordance with the thinnest spotf of.A each. workpiece. measured. bythe meas:- uring mechanism.` The' uid-,operated adjusting mechanismziscontrolled by thelower'measur y ling roll 3ly and causes a. setting. slide- 9- tojwbe moved laterally of the machine. The setting @slide is moved laterally of the machine by the ymovement rof the stem I I of a piston, endwise movement of which is controlled by valve mechanismsimilar to thatl shown in detail in Patent No. 2,338,283. The stem (Fig. 3) has formed on it rack ,teethwhichmesh withar pinion I3 on the lower end `of a shaft which has received onnits upper end a gear I1 (Fig. r1), said gear meshing with rack teeth I9 on the setting slide 9.l

As a workpiece passes between the measuring Y rolls I, 3, the lower roll 3 maymove up yor down i i as the thickness of the workpiece'varies; and l the movement of thev roll so controlsthefvalve mechanism that the stem IVI ofthe piston moves the setting slide 9 laterally of the`rnachine.-

When the measuring of the workpiece `ceases, the

` setting slide is locked against movement inboth directions laterally of the machine; and, while the setting slide remains so locked, the upper roll of the splitting mechanism is adjusted vertically in accordance with the position of the Setting slide, that is, in accordance with the thickness'of ther thinnest portion of the lworkpiece measured by the measuring mechanism.r The stamping forward. The slide 2I hason it rack teeth 21 which mesh with a-pinion 29 whichalsomeshes e with rack 'teeth-3| on one end of a rackbar 33 lsimilar to the rack bar 82 of the last-named patent. The rack bar 33 has on its opposite end rack teeth 35 which mesh with a pinion 31. The pinions 29, 31 are. secured on vertical spindles whichA are rotatably mounted in the machine frame and have onthem` rotatable members 39 on which are formed spirally inclined faces similar to the faces 13, of the last-named patent. Bearings for the. upper splitting roll 5 have on them blocks, similar to the blocks referred to as spiralledblocks 16, 11 inthe last-'named patent, gn which are Y formed complementary spiralled aces.4 f "After the setting slide'9 has been locked in position laterally of the machine the slide 2| is moved forwardly until the face 23 engages the j face 25 on the setting slidek 9. During this for- Ward movement 0f the slidev 2|`the members 39 are rotated, and the spirally inclined faces 'on the members `are rotated relatively to thefaforesaid complementary spirally inclined faces on 99 fof the vlast-named patent, which is connected to a cam-operated arm 43, similar to the arm 91 ofthe=lastnamed patent, and devices connect- 'mgtheslidev to the wedge member. When the blocks 39 have been rotated by the forward movement of the slide 2|, they are'lockedin this position by a ratchet and pawl similar to the circular ratchet 811 and pawl 85 of the last-named patent. No further description of the old machine will be given, reference being made to the two Patents No. 1,703,955 and No. 2,338,283 for details of construction not herein described.

In the Jillustrative machine of the present invention the setting slide 9, instead of having on it two rows of oppositelydisposed ratchet teeth, such-as the teeth referred to as the teeth 49, 4I in Patent No. 1,703,955, has on it only one row of ratchet teeth 45 (Fig. 1), which are' spaced Y apart half aniron, i. e., the distance the setting slidef9 yis moved if a workpiece increases or decreases half an iron in thickness. Cooperating with the teeth 45 is a pawl device, which comf prises a pair of pawls 41, 49. The ratchet teeth A`45 andy pawl'device are so arranged as to prevent movement of the setting slide, during the measuring of a workpiece in the direction of the arrow'in Fig.v l, in response to increases in the thickness ofthe workpiece but to allow movement of the setting slide in the opposite direction vin response to decreases in the thickness of the/"workpiece When, in the machine described in the Patent No. 2,338,283, Ythe measuring of a workpiece ceases, the hydraulic pressure is usually tending to.. move the setting slide towards its starting or zero position. In the illustrative machine hydraulic pressure, whichis tending to move the setting slide 9 towards its zero position during the measuring of a workpiece, is reversed by the fall of the gate I3 as it rides oif from the trailingend of a workpiece just as the measuring of the workpiece ceases; and the hydraulic pressure holdsthe tooth then in engagement with the pawl device rmly against the pawl device. The setting slide 9 is thus held against movement in either'direction across the machine by the hydraulic pressure andthe pawl device, while the operating mechanism is adjusted in accordance with the position of the setting slide 9 across the machine. After the operating mechanism has been adjusted and locked in adjusted position the hydraulic pressure is again reversed by the raising of the gate II3 to cause the setting slide 9 tov return to its Zero position.r The pawl device is withdrawn from the ratchet teeth 45 as or just after the hydraulic pressure is reversed to return the setting slide 9 to zero position so that there is no pressure on the teeth of the pawl device and ratchet teeth as the pawl device is withdrawn. f 'The pawl device comprises the aforesaid two pawls 41 and 49 each having'formed theronteeth ,which are arranged to 'engage the single row of ratchet teeth 45. When the teeth on the pawl `41 and teeth 45 are pressed together lengthwise of the row of teeth 45, the teeth on the pawl 49 engage the teeth 45 about half way along adjacent teeth for a purpose hereinafter described. The Yratchet teeth 45 are so spaced apart that movement Of the setting slide 9 across the machine a distance equal tothe distance between two adjacent teeth represents an increase or decrease of half an iron in the thickness 0f a Workpiece being measured, an iron being one fortypawl 49 and cam lever '51. When .the cam lever 51 is swung inwardly, as -will presently be described, the pawl 49 is moved in a direction to push the setting slide .9 a short distance (less than one tooth) against .the hydraulic pressure and in a direction opposite to that indicated by the .arrow in Fig. l.

The pawls 41, 49 are both allowed to be moved by the spring plunger 53 and spring 59 into engagement with the ratchet teeth 45 and areboth moved away therefrom lby 'a block 6| secured on the rear end portion of a horizontal rod 63 eX- tending forwardly and rearwardly of the machine and being connected to a bar 65 slidingly mounted in `the machine frame. Referring more particularly to Fig. 4, the upper face of the bar 65 has formed in it a recess 61 which is arranged to be engaged by an actuating, pawl 69 which is pivoted on an actuating slide 1|, arranged to be moved forwardly and rearwardly of the machine parallel to'the bar 65. The actuating slide 1| is moved rearwardly by a spring 13, which is stronger than the spring-of the spring plunger 53 and spring 59 which respectively actuate the -pawls 41, 49, and the tension spring 66, said lastnamed spring being fastened at one end to the bar 65 and at the other end to a stationary part of the machine. The rearward movement of the actuating slide 1| is limited by a stop face 15, on the machine frame. The spring13, through the actuating slide 1|, actuating pawl 69 and bar 65, causes the pawls 41, 49 to be moved and held out of engagement with the ratchet teeth 45 on the setting slide 9. The actuating slide 1| has formed in it a horizontal slot 11 which is engaged by a stud 19 secured in a substantially horizontal link 8| which extends rearwardly from the stud and is pivoted at its rear end to a cam lever 83 (Fig. 2')

corresponding to the cam lever referred to as the cam lever 30 in Patent No. 1,703,955. The actuating pawl 69 is arranged to be raised out ofengagement with'the recess 61 in the bar 65, to allow the pawls 41, 49 to be moved into engagement with the ratchet teeth 45 on the setting slide 9,

by an upwardly and downwardly extending thrust rod 85 which has formed on it a shoulder 81 arranged to engage a pin in the actuating pawl 69 and to raise it out of the recess 61 in the bar 65 against the action of a tension spring 99 which tends to move the actuating pawl into engagement with the bar. The lower end portion of the thrust rod 85 is pivotally connected .to a substantially horizontal arm 9| (Fig. 2) which is arranged to be swung 4upwardly when a shoe 93,

corresponding to the shoe 50 of the last-named patent, is moved upwardly by a workpiece which is passing between the measuring. rolls and 3 and is being fed towards the splittingrolls by a chain 95 against which the workpiece is held by a pressure device having freely rotatable rolls 91 which engage the workpiece. When, therefore, a workpiece passes beneath and raises the shoe 93,

the pawls 41, 49 a're allowed to beimoved into enl gagement with the ratchet teeth 45 on the setting slide 9, and the bar 65 is moved forwardly by the spring 66 (Fig. 4). Forward movement of the bar 65 is limited the engagement of a block 99 on the bar with a plate I|'|| on the frame but is suflicient to allow vthe pawls 41, 49 to fully engage the ratchet teeth 45. When the bar 65 moves forwardly the recess 61 in the bar, out of which the actuating pawl 69 has been moved, is moved forwardly of the pawl.

As a workpiece is being fed rearwardly of the .machina its leading end portion engages a plate 'ma (Fig-'2) near the :spinning mus 5, 1 similar to the plate 2H -of the last-named patent and raises the plate which, through arms |05,"| 01 and trip rod |09, corresponding respectively tothe arms and trip rod |1, 20 and 22 of said patent, causes a cltch to be closed and a .driving shaft lll to be rotated. As the driving shaftl H rotates, the actuating slide 1| is moved first forwardly` by the link 8| and then rearwardly by the spring 13. As the actuating slide movesforwardly,` the actuating pawl 69 is moved with it and is carried in front of the recess 61 in the bar 65 and'away from the thrust rod 85 so that the actuating pawl 69` is moved by the aforesaid ten- -sion spring `89, which is connected to the pawl 69 and to the thrust rod 85, from the shoulder 81 on the thrust rod 85 `down upon the upper face of the bar 65. As the actuating slide 1| is moved rearwardly by its spring 13, allowed by rearward movement of the pin 19 in the actuating link 8|, the actuating pawl 69 engages the recess ,61 in the bar 65 and moves the latter bar rearwardly and the pawls 41, 49 out of engagement with the ratchet teeth on the setting slide 9.

When a gate H3 (Fig. 2) corresponding to the gate 84 of Patent N o. 2,338,283 drops off the trailingl end of a workpiecesa lever H5 connected to the gate H3` so controls the auxiliary valve, described in said patent that the ratchet teeth on the setting slide 9 which are in engagement with the teeth -on the pawl 41 are pressed firmly against the teeth on the pawl and endwise movement of the setting slide 9 is thus prevented while the operating means for dealing with the workpiece is being adjusted. The hydraulic pressure is. thus tending tol move the -setting slide in the direction in which it is moved when a workpiece enters between the measuring rolls, that is, in the direction in which lit would move, if allowed, in response to increases in thickness of a workpiece which is passing between the measuring rolls. This control of the auxiliary valve is so arranged -that it is effective when the gate drops off the Theulever H5 is pivoted at H1 on a bracket .Y

H9 secured to a valve bracket I2I, similar to the bracket referred to as the valve bracket |81 in PatentNo. 2,338,283. The lever H5 is piyotally i connected to the lower end portion of a rod |23.

` The vupper end portion of the rod 23 has secured in it a pin |25 which engages a slot |21 formed in an arm |29 extending from a shaft |3| vto which the .gate H3 is secured. As the gate H3 drOps off the trailing end ,of a workpiece, a member |33 -adjusta'bly secured on the arm I 29 engages the pin |25 and raises the rod |23. Upward movement of the rod |23 swings the lever H5 about its pivot and causes the lever to engage a pin |35 in a valve lever |131, similar to the lever referred to as the valve lever |63 of the last-named patent, which controls the aforesaid auxiliary valve, and to move the valve lever |31 forwardly so as to caruse the hydraulicpressure to press the aforesaid teeth on the setting slide against the teeth on the `pawl 41. The -gate is raised by mechanism similar to that described in Patent No. 1,703,955 and comprising a cam-operated bar |39, similar to the bar 66 of said patent which is controlled by movement yof the lowermeasuring roll 3; and, when the gate is raised, the lever I I5 `is moved away from the pin |35, and the auxiliary valve is actuatedlso as to `cause thehydraulic pressure to be reversed and the setting slide 9 to be moved toits zero posisetting slide 9.

`mains in engagement with the rack teeth, the

tien. This reversal ef the hydremie pressure is arranged to occur just as or before the pawls 41,

`49 are moved out of engagement with the ratchet teeth 45 on the setting slide 9 so that the pawls and teeth are 'not pressed together when the pawls are withdrawn and wear" of the teeth kor pawls is at least substantially avoided. In the operation of the machine w'orkpieces are fed to it in quick succession, the'machine being ready to receive the leading end of a succeeding `workpiece while a preceding workpiece is being split, so that ordinarily there are two workpieces in the machine all the time. Assuming, however, that no workpiece is in the machine, that the gate is in raised position and consequently that the hydraulic pressure device has moved the setting slide 9 to Zero position, and that the pawl device has been moved out of engagement `with the rack teeth on the setting slide, the op- `the rod |23 (Fig. 3), causes the hydraulic mechanism, indicated as a whole at 4, to act through the piston rod and the parts which connect it to the setting slide 9 4to press the slideend'wise against the teeth of the pawl device so that the `slide is held immovable during the time that the upper roll of the splitting mechanism is adjusted. The operation of the two pawls 41, 49 on workpieces having thinnest spots of a thickness which does not correspond to the half-iron spacing of the teeth 45 will be described later. At present `it will be assumed that the thinnest spot in a workpiece corresponds to the half-iron spacing of the teeth 45 and that the pawl 41 vis alone effective.

Returning now to the position of parts when the gate descends upon the upper face of vthe workpiece and the gate is riding upon said upper face, the lower roll 3 ofthe measuring mecha- `nism moves up and down in response to Variations in the thickness of the workpiece and, through the hydraulic mechanism, causes the setting slide 9 to move back and forth crosswise of the machine. Thereafter, until the leading end'of the workpiece enters beneath and lifts the shoe 93 (Fig. 2), noveffective measuring takes place since the setting slide 9 is free to move back and forth according to increase or decrease in the thickness of the workpiece. When now the leading end of the workpiece raises the shoe 93, the link is pushed up to allow thevspring 66 (Fig. 4) to pull the bar 65 and rod B3 forward so as to permit the pawl device (Fig. 1) to be moved into engagement with the rack teeth 45 on the As long as the pawl devicereeffective measuring of the workpiece continues,

`the setting slide moving only toward Zero position so that only incrementsofthinness, so 'to speak, are effective.

The movements of the setting slide inresponse l to thinner spots encountered in the workpiece by the measuring rolls continues until the gate H3 `rides ofi' the trailing endl of the workpiece and falls. This falling of the gate, through the rod |23 (Fig. 3), causes the 'hydraulic mechanism to exert va pressure on the setting slide'9' in the named patent.

direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 1 so that the settingV slide is held from movement for a. short interval. During this interval four things take place before the leadingend of the workpiece has entered between the open rolls of the splitting mechanism, due to the fact that the (not shown) causes rotation of the shaft HI. First, a pawl, corresponding to the pawl 85 of Patent No. 1,703,955, is withdrawn' from a circular ratchet, corresponding to the circular ratchet 85 of the last-named patent. Second, the pawl device is thrown into operation. Third, theupper roll 5 is adjusted downwardly by pulling forward the slide`2| which corresponds to the slide |08 shown in Fig. 4 of the last-named patent, the pulling forward of thisvslide being accomplished by mechanism corresponding to that shown in Fig. 4 of the last-named patent, namely, by the rod 4|, corresponding to the rod 99 of the last-named patent, and cam-operated arm 43 corresponding to the arm 91 of the lastnamed patent. Fourth, the pawl which corresponds to the pawl 85y of the last-named patent is allowed again to engage the circular ratchet corresponding to the circular ratchet of the last- The splitting mechanism has now been set in accordance with Athe measured 'thickness of the workpiece and locked in position. The gate H3 is thereafter raised by the cam-operated bar |39 corresponding to the bai- 66 shown in Fig. l of the last-named patent. rI'ihis reverses the direction .of the hydraulic pressure so that said pressure vis exerted to move the setting slide 9 toward zero position, that` is, in` a direction opposite to that indicated 'by the arrow in Fig. 1, thereby releasing the pressure of the rack teeth 45 on the pawl device, and, just as the pressure on the pawl device is relieved, the link 8| (Fig. 2) is moved by the cam lever 83 with the result that, through the mechanism shown in Fig. 4, thepawl device `is moved out of engagement with the rack teeth on the setting slide. f v

The gate has now been -raised and the pawl device disengaged from the rack teeth on the setting slide so that a succeeding workpiece may be fed at once to the machine. During the time,

or part of the time, that said succeeding piece is being measured, the preceding piece is being split; and the upper roll of the splitting mechanism is being held down in its adjusted position, being held locked by mechanism shown in Patent No. 1,703,955, namely by the pawl 85 (of the last-named patent) which engages the circular ratchet 84 (of the last-named patent). When the leading end of the succeeding workpiece raises the plate |03 (of the present application) and starts rotation of the shaftv HI (of the present application), the first thing which rotation of this shaft accomplishes is to Withdraw the pawl 85 (of the last-named patent) from the teeth of the circular ratchet 84 (of the lastnamed patent) and thereby permit the upper roll of the splitting mechanism 'to rise to its normal position ready to be adjusted again. It will be realized that the raising'of the gate H3 to allow another workpiece to be fed to the machine, and therefore the reversal of the hydraulic pressure, and the withdrawal of the pawls 41, 49 from the ratchet teeth 45 on the setting slide 9 are both controlled by cam-operated means while the driving shaft is being rotated and may therefore beso accurately timed that the pressure between the pawls'andratchet `teeth isdeiinitely relieved at the time when the pawls are `v`Withdrawn from the teeth. The only function of the shoe 93 in the illustrative'machine is kto re:- lease the actuating pawl 69 from the recess `61 in the bar 65, as a workpiece raises the shoe, to allow the pawls 41, 49 to be moved into engagement with the ratchet teeth 45 on .the setting slide 9 and measuring of theworkpiece to bel commenced. The locking means referred to in Patent No. 2,338,283 for preventing forward movement of the arm referred to as the downwardly extending arm |49 is dispensed with in the illustrative machine.

The pawl 41, as has been stated, is pivoted on the machine frame and has three teeth; and, when three teeth on the setting slide 9 are pressed by the hydraulic pressure against the teeth on this pawl, the setting sli'de 9 will be so positioned that the means for operating upon or dealing with the workpiece just measured will be adjusted accurately to a whole iron or half iron dimension depending upon the thickness of the v workpiece and not to a dimension between an iron and half an iron. To this end the pawl 49, as has been stated, is pivoted on the cam-operated lever 51 which is pivoted on the machine frame and has on it a cam roll |4`| which is Iheld by a tension spring |43 against a cam block |45 on' an arm corresponding to the arm 91 of Patent No. 1,703,955. The 'pawls 41, 49 each have three teeth arranged to engage the ratchet teeth 45 on the setting slide 9. When the teeth 45 are pressed, lengthwise of the slide, against three of the teeth on the pawl 41, the teeth on the pawl 49 engagel halfway along three otherteeth o-f the teeth 45; and the teeth on the pawl 49 are arranged to be moved lengthwise of the setting slide 9 into alinement with the teeth on the'pawl 41 Iby the cam lever 51.

The marking or stamping mechanism comprises the stamp wheel |41 carrying a series of plication filed in the names of William T. B.

Roberts and Fred Ricks, the details of its construction forming no part of the present invention.

It is desirable that a workpiece which measures between, say, four and four and a half irons shall be dealt with as a four or four and a half iron workpiece whichever is nearest to its measured thickness. To this end vthe pawl device is constructed and arranged to ensure that the stamping and splitting mechanism shall be properly positioned for each operation, and that each workpiece which measures between, say, three and three and a half irons shall be dealt with as if it measured three or three and a half irons whichever is nearest to its measured thickness.

The aforesaid cam lever 51 to. which the pawl 49 is pivoted is arranged to actuate the pawl 49 just after the hydraulic pressure has been caused to press three teeth on the setting slide, lengthwise of the slide, against the' teeth on the pawl 41 which is pivoted on the-machine' frame.; -When the hydraulic pressure causes three teeth on thev setting slide to be pressed against the. teeth on the .pawl 41 both pawls of the device are inengagement with the ratchet` teeth i45 on the setting slide, the teeth of the loam actuated pawl49 being spaced `about half-.way along three of rthe teeth on the setting slide. The operation of the l pawls 41, 49, when 'diierentthicknesses of work have been measured by the measuring mechanism andthe setting slide has in consequence been moved to different positions across the machine, will now be described wth'reference to Figs. 4,

and 6 in which the teeth 45 have been shown (up as viewed in thegure), a tooth |5| of the ratchet teeth 45' on the setting slide 9 corre-v sponding to the four iron measurement is pressed against the pawl 41; and the pawl 4,9 engages v theneXt tooth |53, which corresponds, to a three and aLhalf iron measurement, about half way along that tooth. When thereafter the. pawl 49 is actuated by its cam lever 51 it, inthis instance, moves'idly towards and from the four iron tooth |5|, and the workpiece is dealt with in accordance with its four iron measurement.

Ifa workpiece measures'slightly less than four and a quarter irons (see Fig. 6) the pawl 49. will be in a position to be engaged by the four iron tooth |5|' when the hydraulic pressure is reversed, and the pawl 41 will be engaging the four iron too-th |5| between that tooth and the next or four and a half iron tooth |55;A and the four iron tooth will be pressed against the-pawl 49 by the hydraulic pressure. When thereafter lthe `pawl 49 is actuated by its cam lever51 it pushes the setting slide 9 -against the'hydraulicpressur'e so far that the pawl41 can drop in behind the four iron tooth |5| and then, as the pawl y49is moved back, the hydraulicpressure pushes the four iron tooth |5| vagainst the pawl 41. The workpiece although it has been found tomeasure just under four and a quarter irons is thereafter ated by its cam lever Y51 it is moved idly toward andfrom the four-iron tooth. Thewdrkpiece is thereafter dealt with as if it were found to measure four irons. l

It will therefore be apparent that workpieces which measure between just over three and threequarters of an iron and just under four and a quarterirons are all dealt with as if they measured four irons. If, however, a workpiece meas ures exactly four andfa quarter irons the` pawll 49 will be in engagement with the top of the rfouriron tooth, and, when the hydraulic pressure is reversed, the four and a half iron-tooth will be pressed againstfthe pawl-41, andthe cant-oper.-v

, ated movement of the pawl 49 will be an idle movement and the workpiece will be dealt with as ii it measured four and a half irons. Although in the above example a thickness of four irons as a base is described and measurements above i and below four irons have been referred to, it is to be understood that this is only by way of example, the same results occurring with other base measurements. By this means any workpiece in which its thinnest measured portion does not measure an iron or half-iron dimension is dealt with in accordance with its nearest iron or half-iron measurement whether it is a little below or a little above that measurement except 1 as above indicated where a workpiece measures r exactly four and a quarter irons when it is dealt with as if it measured four and a half irons.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 4of the United States is:

1. A combination measuring mechanism responsive to variations in the thickness of a workpiece passing through the' machine, operating mechanism, mechanism for adjusting the operating mechanism in accordance with the thicknessof a thin spot encountered by the measuring mechanism, said adjusting mechanism including a setting member having rack teeth, a lpawl for cooperating with said teeth and hydraulic means for moving the setting member, the pawl permitting movement in a direction corresponding to thinner spots encountered by the measuring mechanism, means becoming operative after the completion of ,the measuring operation for reversing the direction of the hydraulic pressure n to hold the setting member locked from movement in either direction, means for withdrawing the pawl, and means acting just prior to said i withdrawal for again reversing the direction of the hydraulic pressure to permit ready withdrawal of said pawl.

2. In a machine for measuring the thickness l of the thinnest spot in a selected locality ofi a workpiece and for operating in accordance with said thickness, a setting `member, hydraulic means for adjusting the setting member, a pawl adapted to cooperate with the setting member to direction but not in the other, means becoming operative at the.end of the measuring operation for causing the hydraulic pressure to vbe exerted permit movement of the setting member in one in a direction opposite to the direction of mover ment of the setting member permitted by the pawl whereby the setting member is held immovable ior an interval, means for reversing the direction of the hydraulic pressure, and means for withdrawing the pawl.

3. In a machine for measuring the thickness of the thinnest spot in a selected locality of a workpiece and for operating in accordance with said thickness, a-setting member, means for adjusting the setting member, a pawl adapted to ber to tend to move the member in a direction opposite to the direction of movementI of said setting member permitted by the pawl whereby the setting member is held immovable for an interval, means for thereafter causing the means for adjusting the setting member to tend to move i the member in a direction permitted by the pawl, and. means for -Withdrawing the pawl.

4; A machine of the class described having in combination a gate beneath which'a workpiece is presented, measuring rolls one oi which is movable toward and from the other as the workpiece passes between them, a shoe adapted to be raised by the passageV of a workpiece `beneath it, a setting slide having rack teeth, hydraulic means-responsive to movements of the movable measuring roll for moving the slide, a pawl device for engaging the ratchet teeth of the slide and preventing movement of said slide in a direction corresponding to increase in thickness of theV workpiece as determined by the measuring rolls, a gradingmechanism and meansfor'adjusting said mechanism in accordance with the final position of the setting slide, means operated by raising of the shoe for moving the pawl device into cooperative relation with'the rack teeth on the setting s1ide,fmeans operated by the dropping of the gate off the trailing endv lof the Aworkpiece for causing the pressure of the hydraulic means to be exerted upon the setting slide in a directionfto hold the rack teeth firmly against the pawl device so that the setting slide is held firmly from movement,V a member encountered and moved by the leading end of the'workpiece, movement of which member causes the grading meansto be adjusted in accordance with the position of the setting s lide and the pawl device to be withdrawn from the ratchet teeth on the setting slide, and means operated by movement of the movable measuringroll just before the withdrawal of the pawl device, as the trailing end of the workpiece passes from between the measuring rolls, for reversing the direction of the hydraulic pressure.

5. In a machine for measuring the thickness of the'thinnest spot in a selected locality of a workpiece and for operating inaccordance with said thickness, a setting slide having rack teeth, a pawl device, yielding means constantly urging the Ipawl device towards the rack teeth, a rod one end of which is adapted to hold the pawl device outl of engagement with the rack teeth, a spring tending constantly to move the rod away from the pawl device, a bar to which the rod is fast, an actuating pawl adaptedv to engage the bar and to hold the rod in position to hold the pawl device away from the ratchet teeth, means for disengaging the actuating pawl from the bar whereby the bar and rod permit the pawl device to engage the ratchet teeth on the setting slide whereupon the setting slide is permitted to move only in a direction corresponding to decrease in thickness of the workpiece as determined by the measuring rolls, and means becoming operative later to cause the actuating pawl to move the bar back to its first position and thereby move the pawl device away fromthe ratchet teeth on the setting slide.

6. Ina machine for measuring the thickness of the 'thinnest spot in a selected locality of a work piece and for operating in accordance with' said thickness, a setting member, hydraulic means for adjusting the setting membery a plurality of pawls adapted to cooperate with the setting member to permit movement of the setting memberin one direction but not in the other, means becoming operative at the endofI the measuring operan tion for causing the hydraulic pressure to be exerted in a direction opposite to thedirection of movement of the setting member permitted by the* pawls whereby the setting member is held immovable for an interval, means for moving one of the pawls in a direction oppositel to that exertedvby vthe hydraulic pressure saidmovement being idle or effective to move the setting member depending upon theadjusted position of said member, means becoming operative thereafter to reverse the direction of the hydraulic pressure, and means for withdrawing the pawls.

7. In a machine for measuring the thickness of the thinnest spot in a selected locality of a workpiece and operating in accordance with said thickness, a setting slide having on it a single row of rack teeth, a pawl device comprising two pawls adapted to engage the teeth and permit movement ofthe setting slide only in a direction corresponding to decrease in the thickness of the workpiece as measured by the measuring rolls, hydraulic means for moving the setting slide, means becoming operative when the trailing end of the workpiece leaves the measuring rolls for causing the hydraulic pressure to be exerted in a direction opposite to that permitted by the pawl device, and means for moving one of the pawls in a direction opposite to that exerted by the v hydraulic pressure.

8. In a machine for measuring the thickness of the thinnest spot in a workpiece and for operating in accordance with said thickness, means for causing said operating means to operate with respect to a workpiece, the thinnest spot of which does not measure an even multiple of the chosen unit of measurement, according to the multiple nearest said measurement, and, if said measurement is half way between one multiple and the next higher multiple of the chosen unit, then in accordance with the next higher multiple, said means comprising a setting slide the adjusted position of which determines the adjustment of the operating mechanism, said setting slide having a single row of ratchet teeth spaced apart a distance equal to a single chosen unit of measurement, hydraulic means for adjusting the setting slide, two pawls engaging the ratchet teeth both adapted to permit movement of the slide only in a direction corresponding to decrease in thickness of the workpiece as measured by the measuring rolls, the pawls being so constructed and arranged than when one pawl is engaging the effective face of one of the ratchet teeth' on the setting slide, the other pawl is engaging a tooth half way between its eiective face and its root, and means for causing one of the pawls to be moved' to and fro lengthwise ofthe setting slide.

JOSEPH GOULDBOURN. 

